Tennis racket



A. D. ANDREEF TENNI S RACKET 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I Filed Nov. 22, 1941INVENTOR AJDJXNDREEF y 1943- A. D. ANDREEF 2,318,916

TENNIS RACKET Filed Nov. 22, 1941 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN\ ENTOR- wm w-ATTUBNE Patented May 11, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TENNIS RACKETAlexis D. Andreef, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Application November 22,1941, Serial No. 420,113

3 Claims.

This invention relates to tennis and similar rackets and it comprisescertain improvements in the construction of both open throat and closedthroat rackets; the purpose of such improvements being (1) to increasethe resistancev of the racket to the twisting force imposed on theracket by the impacts to which it is subjected when in use; (2) tostrengthen the shoulder and handle portions of the racket withoutimpairing the flexibility and other desirable properties; (3) to providea strong but relatively light hollow handle portion which iscomparatively inexpensive and easy to fabricate; and (4) to provide anew type of handle which eliminates the necessity of applying theretothe conventional external grip facings or covering strips.

Proceeding now to a more detailed description of this inventionreference will be had to the accompanying drawings, in Which- Fig. 1 isa front view of a partially completed open throat racket made inaccordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing a modified handleconstruction.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the form of racket appearing in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view of -the handle portion of theracket shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a detail view of a handle shaping wedge or core piece which isembodied in the handle construction shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the manner in which thehandle portion of the racket is finished off without the application ofthe conventional external grip facings or covering strips.

Fig. 7 is a butt end view of the finished handle appearing in Fig. 6.

. Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing a modified racket ofthe closed throat type.

Fig. 9 is a detail view of the handle shaping wedge or core pieceembodied in the handle construction shown in Fig. 8.

In forming the open throat racket shown in Fig. 1 a strip 5, preferablycomposed of a number of wood laminations glued together, is bent toprovide the head 6, handle extensions 7 and reversely curved throatforming arms 8. The handle extensions 1 are glued to opposite sides ofan interposed core 9 which is preferably made of softer wood than thatemployed in the fabrication of the strip 5. This produces a rackethaving an open throat [0 which is bounded at the sides by the arms 8 andat the lower end by the upper extremity of the core 9. At its upper endthe throat I0 is closed by a throat-bridging,

crescent shaped insert H which also completes the lower portion of thehead 6. The ends of the throat bridging insert I l are tapered so thatthe upper surface of the insert merges smoothly with the inner surfaceof a combinedhead and shoulder reinforcing ply l2. This ply I2 extendsaround the top and downwardly along the sides of the head 6 to points Xwhich lie within what may be termed the shoulder portions of the racket.The construction and relative arrangement of the insert "l I and thereinforcing ply I2 is preferably such that these parts presentoverlapping portions I la and 12a which extend from the points X topoints X which are located a relatively short distance below thetransverse centre line of the head 6. The portions I2a of thereinforcing ply I2. are tapered so that they gradually increase inthickness toward the points X where they form square shoulders whichconstitute the upper corner boundaries of the openthroat l0.

An important advantage of the construction disclosed in Fig. l is thatthe portions of the reinforcing strip l2 which are interposed betweenthe head 6 and the tapered portions of the throat-bridging insert llserve to substantially strengthen the shoulder portions of the racketand to provide for a more secure attachment of the throat-bridginginsert ll than is obtained when the tapered ends of this insert areglued directly to the head 6.

Another advantage of the construction here referred tois that theshoulder reinforcing portions l2a of strip l2 maybe tapered during theformation of the strip to provide the ideal degree of curvature alongthe surfaces of the portions 12a to which the tapered extremities of thethroat bridging insert II are to be glued. The shoulder strengtheningefiect of the strip [2 is also increased by reason of the fact that theshoulder strengthening portions 12a are integral- 1y joined by the headstrengthening portion lib. Experience has demonstrated that thisarrangement gives a better shoulder strengthening effect than isobtained when separate shoulder strengthening inserts are fitted betweenthe shoulder portions of the head and the tapered portions of thethroatbridging insert II.

It will be noted that the terminal points X of the reinforcing ply 12are located a substantial distance from the vertical centre line Y ofthe racket. This enables a considerable number of string receivingopenings to be provided in the central portion of the insert I I whichlies between the points X.

In Figs. 2 to 7 inclusive, I have shown a modi fied form of open throatracket in which the inner sides of the handle forming extensions 1 aredirectly glued together. In this case each handle extension I isbifurcated by a slot 15 which extends the full length of said extension.The slots l lie between the front and rear faces of the extensions 1 andare at right angles to the inner glued sides of said extensions.

A tapered handle shaping wedge or core piece I6 is forced into the slots[5 as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. The branches 1a of each handle formingextension 1 are thus spread apart so that they diverge from each othertoward the butt end of the handle as shown more particularly in Fig. 3.The width of the handle shaping wedge or core piece I6 is such that itssides |6a and I612 project outwardly beyond the front and rear sides ofthe handle extensions 1. It will also be noted that the handle shapingcore piece I6 is provided with a longitudinal slot [6d which extendsfrom the butt end of the core piece to a point I50 located a substantialdistance from the opposite or upper end of the core piece. Owing to theprovision of the slots [6d in the tapered wedge or core piece I6 it willbe seen that, when this wedge or core piece is assembled with theslotted handle forming extensions 1, the resulting handle is of hollowconstruction as clearly illustrated in Fig. 4, the hollow interior ofthe handle being bounded at two opposite sides by the walls of the coreslot id and at the remaining opposite sides by the walls of the slots [5of the handle extensions 1. The handle extensions l and the projectingportions of the handle shaping wedge or core piece l6 are then trimmeddown and bevelled to provide a handle having the external shapeillustrated in Figs. 6 and '7, it being noted that the finished handlehas a slight inward taper from the butt end of the handle to theopposite end where the handle joins the lower end of the throat formingarms 8. The advantage of this type of handle construction is that iteliminates the necessity of employing the usual external grip or facingstrips which are usually glued to the handle extensions 1 to give thehandle its final external shape. In the case of the present invention,as illustrated in Figs. 2 to 7, inclusive, the internal handle shapingwedge or core It gives substantially the same effect as is obtained whenthe conventional grip or facing strips'are employed.

The racket shown in Figs. 8 and 9 is substantially the same as theracket shown in Fig. 2, except for the fact that the throat I0 is closedby a heart piece Illa, the lower corner of the heart piece being fittedin a notch 20 provided in the upper end of the handle shaping wedge orcore piece IS.

While the component plies of the laminated head, handle and throatportions of the rackets described herein may be made of hard wood, or

any other suitable material, I have found that the strength andresiliency of such rackets is increased in substantial degree when thehead and/or handle portions are composed, at least in part, of baleen.For example, a racket of exceptional strength and resiliency is obtainedwhen the component plies of the strip 5 and the reinforcing strip 12 aremade of baleen. I have also found that a racket of substantiallyincreased strength and resiliency, as compared with laminated racketsnow available, is obtained when only the reinforcing ply I2 is made ofbaleen. the remaining laminations being com posed of hard wood or othermaterials ordinarily employed.

The invention also contemplates a racket in which one or more plies ofthe strip 5 is made of baleen and the remaining plies made of hard woodor other material ordinarily employed. It also contemplates a racket inwhich the crescentshaped reinforcing strip l 1 consists, either whollyor in part, of baleen. Baleen may also be used in the construction ofthe handle cores shown at 9 in Fig. 1 and at I6 in Fig. 2 but, as ageneral rule, these cores will be made of some softer material, such aswood, which is softer than the component plies of the strip 5.

Having thus described what I now consider to be the preferred embodimentof my invention, it will be understood that various modifications may beresorted to within the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. A tennis or similar racket comprising head and handle members. aninner reinforcing ply extending across the top and downwardly along thesides of the head and terminating in end portions which are spaced asubstantial distance from the central longitudinal axis of the head andhandle and are flared so that they gradually increase in thicknesstoward the ends of said ply and a throat-bridging insert having its endportions overlying and adhesively secured to the end portions of saidreinforcing ply.

2. A tennis or similar racket comprising a laminated strip bent toprovide head and handle extensions and throat defining arms integrallyconnecting said head and handle extensions, said handle extensions beingglued together at their inner sides and being provided with full lengthslits open at the butt ends of said extensions, said slits alsoextending the full width of the handle formed by said extensions andbeing disposed between the front and rear faces of said extensions, atapered handle shaping wedge or core member fitted in said slits wherebythe front and rear portions of the handle extensions lying at oppositesides of the slits are spread apart so that they diverge from each otherin the direction of the butt end of the handle, said wedge or coremember being provided with a longltudinal slot extending from the buttend to a point adjacent the opposite end of said wedge or core member.

3. A racket as set forth in claim 2, including a heart piece fitted inthe throat portion of the racket and adhesively secured to the throatdefining arms, the lower portion of said heart piece being fitted in anotch provided in the upper end of the handle shaping wedge or coremember and a throat-bridging insert having its central portionadhesively secured to the top portion of the heart piece and its endportions adhesively secured to said head.

ALEXIS D. ANDREEF.

